Tour pro calls for change to Ryder Cup qualifying: "Nicely sums up the problem"

English tour pro Eddie Pepperell and former Ryder Cup skipper Ian Woosnam had an interesting conversation on X about the qualification system.

Ben Smith

05 Sep 2023

Tour pro calls for change to Ryder Cup qualifying: "Nicely sums up the problem" — Tour pro calls for change to Ryder Cup qualifying: "Nicely sums up the…

Eddie Pepperell says Adrian Meronk's omission from the 2023 European Ryder Cup 'nicely sums up the problem' with the DP World Tour.

Would it be too much of a stretch to suggest European skipper Luke Donald shocked the golf world with his captain's picks?

To the surprise of many, Donald decided to overlook the Polish golfer despite him winning three times in 2023.

One of those victories came at the Italian Open at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club. It's the very same venue that will host the 44th Ryder Cup.

Meronk showed all his class by reacting to his snub with grace. His manager, of course, was also more than a tad disappointed.

"Why on earth has Donald left Meronk out the Ryder Cup team?" | Roberts Rants

As for Pepperell, he believes that going forward this will continually cause problems because of one agreement between the DP World Tour and PGA.

The top-10 players, already not exempt, will earn their PGA Tour cards for the 2023-2024 campaign.

German Yannik Paul is also eyeing up a PGA Tour card and even - bizarrely - decided to skip the ISPS Handa World Invitational despite trailing Scotland's Bob MacIntyre by 90 points in the race with only two events left.

Paul wasn't picked either whereas MacIntyre qualified automatically alongside Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton and Matthew Fitzpatrick.

Responding to a post about Meronk's exclusion, the English tour pro wrote:

"I think this nicely sums up the problem the DPWT are going to have moving forward also, given the 10 best players will be playing full time in the US from next year. Surely the qualification system is going to have to change(?)."

Former Ryder Cup skipper Ian Woosnam, who led the Europeans to a 18.5 - 9.5 victory in 2006 got involved.

Woosnam also sent a post to Meronk, insisting he would've picked him.

Winner of the 2023 Italian Open at Marco Simone
3rd in the DP World Tour rankings
Top 25 finish at 2023 Open Championship
Captain's pick
Should Adrian Meronk have made the European 2023 Ryder Cup team? pic.twitter.com/e6W4jorOXU
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) September 4, 2023

He replied to Pepperell:

"Just because they play in America doesn't make them a better player yeah you may win more money and more world ranking points because the European tour has fallen so far behind on the world ranking points system but it still doesn’t make them a better player?"

Of which Pepperell responded:

"To be clear, my tweet was referencing the 10 players who will gain PGAT membership from finishing well on the DPWT rankings. This in addition to those guys already playing full time on PGAT (Rory et al..) We are literally giving the PGAT our best players I'm afraid Ian."

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I think this nicely sums up the problem the DPWT are going to have moving forward also, given the 10 best players will be playing full time in the US from next year. Surely the qualification system is going to have to change(?).
— Eddie Pepperell (@PepperellEddie) September 4, 2023

Just because they play in America doesn’t make them a better player
yeah you may win more money and more world ranking points because the European tour has fallen so far behind on the world ranking points system but it still doesn’t make them a better player? https://t.co/6O1qF7qDK9
— Ian Woosnam (@IWoosnam) September 5, 2023

To be clear, my tweet was referencing the 10 players who will gain PGAT membership from finishing well on the DPWT rankings. This in addition to those guys already playing full time on PGAT (Rory et al..)
We are literally giving the PGAT our best players I’m afraid Ian.
— Eddie Pepperell (@PepperellEddie) September 5, 2023

At present, the aforementioned Meronk, Paul and MacIntyre along with Victor Perez, Alexander Bjork, Min Woo Lee, Joost Luiten and Pablo Larrazabal are in position to earn their PGA Tour cards for next year's campaign.

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